Interesting Facts

- Vienna is the capital city of Austria and also the Bundesland (regional state).

- Vienna is the only capital city in Europe where the actual population has been declining in the last few decades, which in effect means that the quality of life has increased.

- Many international organizations like the UN, the OECD and the Commission for Nuclear Energy of the European Union have settled here.

- The city plays host to its very own international film festival, the Vienna International Film Festival.

II. Destinations & Sight-Seeing

A. Ringstrasse

An excellent way to sample the city's treasures is to visit its oldest part along the Ringstrasse. It was built in the year 1857 in the area of the old self-protected walls that surrounded the city and slowed down its progress. The Ringstrasse encircles Vienna's historic center and many symbolic buildings can be found alongside it. Each of these buildings is a spectacular gem in the city's range of sights and monuments. Amongst these, the Museum of History of Art - Kunsthistorisches Museum - is recommended as a must watch. It possesses one of Europe's richest painting collections and includes masterpieces from Vermeer, Tizian, Rembrandt are many more. It also houses the world's biggest collection of Peter Breughel.

B. Schonbrunn Palace

Another attraction is the former summer majestic residence, which is the Schonbrunn Palace. It is an architectural complex that comprises of vast gardens, it has the world's oldest zoological garden, which dates back to 1752, and also houses beautiful terraces of the Gloriette. Six years ago the renowned and talented Mozart performed in the Schonbrunn Palace. The palace also witnessed the end of the Austro-Hungarian Kingdom, when the Emperor Karl I endorsed his signature on the abdication act in 1918. The Schonbrunn Palace, with its neighboring buildings and the enormous park, is one of the most noteworthy cultural monuments in Austria. The castle was constructed to compete against French Versailles in Baroque for its beauty and importance but House Habsburg was short of funds to outshine its rival nation France. In the former days it served as a summer residence to various rulers of Habsburg. Emperor Franz Joseph who was the ruler from 1848-1916 was born here in the year 1830 and spent the final years of his life completely in Schonbrunn. In 1918, the palace belonged to the new republic. Due to this historical value, the beautiful location and the gardens, The Schonbrunn Palace is one of the most popular sights in Vienna.

C. St. Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral, with its incomplete South Tower, is a characteristic feature of the city. It is one of the earliest buildings in Vienna, which dates back to the 13th century and was built in 1147 AD. Although, the interiors have a mixture of architectural styles, the common choice is a long climb up the spiraling, 343-step stairway, which directs towards the top of the North Tower. In return tourists can get a fine view of Vienna. St. Stephen's Cathedral is one of Vienna's most famed sights. It labels the city center and has been a major attraction of Vienna for centuries. For a long time it was recognized as tallest and the highest building in Europe that measured approximately 137m. The Duke Rudolf IV of Habsburg organized a project for restructuring the church in the Gothic manner. In the year 1359, he set the foundation stone of the nave with two of its passageways. The South Tower construction was completed in 1433. The cathedral has got two very impressive features, it has a massive roof, and the tall, lean tower is 136,7 meters high. Tourists can find just a few gothic towers of such height that were over and done with, in the Middle Ages. Within the Cathedral there are several art treasures such as the tomb of Prince Eugene of Savoy, the Altarpiece of Wiener Neustadt, the podium by Anton Pilgram, the grave of Emperor Frederik III, the watchman's lookout, a self-portrait of the sculptor, and the Gothic winged altar.

D. Prater and the Riesenrad

There are various methods that people choose to get a glimpse of Vienna and to do so they go aboard on the Riesenrad, or a gigantic wheel that is located in Prater, which is the city's famous amusement spot. The Riesenrad was built between 1896-1897 by an English engineer called Walter Basset and was once a worldwide phenomenon. Walter Basset built four similar wheels, but the Riesenrad is the only one present and is a true historic monument.

E. Hofburg

Today tourists consider Vienna as a sum of its past. There are many structures in the city, which are rich with Hapsburg reminders. One of the most important is the Hofburg. Vienna's composite and impressive Imperial Palace, the Hofburg, grabs attention of passerby's. The Hapsburg residence is one of the very first that grew with the family estate from the 13th century and continued till 1913, when the new section commenced. This was the winter dwelling of the Hapsburg rulers until the year 1918, and it is now the home of the Spanish Riding School, the Vienna Boys' Choir, the Austrian president's office, 5,000 government employees, and a number of important museums. Many people are taken aback in the Hofburg's innumerable halls and courtyards, but others focus on three important attractions, which are the Imperial Apartments, the Treasury, and the New Palace. The Hofburg's Treasury has command of the best ornaments and jewels on the Continent. A trip through the vault doors can mirror the flash of those 21 rooms that are filled with scepters, swords, crowns, orbs, weighty robes, double-headed eagles, gowns, gem-studded bangles, and a six-and-a-half-foot-tall, 500-year-old unicorn horn, which was thought to be extremely powerful in the old days and people of that era believed in the myth that it gave its owner the grace of God.

F. The Lipizzaner Museum

The Lipizzaner Museum is situated on the border of the Hofburg grounds and is a treat for horse lovers. This museum represents the 400-year-old history of the famous riding school. The shows performed here are famous and the tickets are costly and sold out way before the time of the performance. People can also take advantage of the training sessions, which are held in the chandeliered Baroque hall. Tourists can save money by purchasing the combo tickets that covers the cost for the museum as well as the training sessions. The public lines up for hours to get entry at 10:00, but not many people stay for the entire two hours. As and when people leave, new tickets are issued on a continuous basis.

G. Wiener Staatsoper - Vienna Opera House

Vienna Opera House or Wiener Staatsoper, as it is generally known, is situated in the former district of Vienna on the southern end of the Kärntnerstrasse. The State Opera House was commenced in 1861 and the construction was completed in 1869 by August von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll. The Vienna Opera House has a universal standing for its first-class opera concerts and is also well known because of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Tourists can experience one of the most remarkable performances at the State Opera on their visit to Vienna. The structure is very similar to that of the Italian Renaissance, as this era was very important for art and music. The first operas were written and performed in Italy in the 16th century. The balcony towards the Ring Boulevard endeavors to highlight the house's openness to the public. It is decorated with a prized cycle that represents Mozart's 'Magic Flute' and other famous operas achieved by painter Moritz von Schwind. Several statues and abstract additions within the interior and exterior of Vienna opera emphasize the festive spirit of the house.

H. Belvedere Palace

There are two glorious palaces on the premises of Belvedere that are in the heart of an impressive park. A famous Baroque architect called J.L. Von Hildebrandt built these palaces for Prince Eugene of Savoy. During this time the Belvedere Palaces were yet outside Vienna's defenses, but today they form an important part of Vienna's third region, which is not far away from the center of Vienna. The Palaces' planning and interior designs are typical for Rococo style. At the moment, both these palaces are home to museums that feature famous Austrian paintings. The lower palace houses the Austrian Museum of Baroque Art that displays Austrian Art, which dates back to the 18th century. The upper palace has an Austrian gallery that exhibits a collection of 19th and 20th century Austrian paintings. Tourists can also find creations of artist from the Secession movement such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka. In the year 1803, Europe's foremost alpine garden was formed in the widespread park area of The Belvedere castle that trails ideas of Archduke Johann. Today, there are more than 4000 plants, which represents the varied flora of the alpine ecology. Spring and early summer is a favorable time to see many plants that start to flower.